Experts say affordable childcare could transform labour and wealth inequalities in Western Sydney
Experts from Western Sydney University’s Centre for Western Sydney say universal childcare would be a game-changer when it comes to tackling the labour and wealth inequalities that persist across Western Sydney.
Commenting following the release of the Productivity Commission’s inquiry report, ‘A path to universal early childhood education and care’, Dr Angela Smith, postdoctoral research fellow, said this report provides a much-needed pathway towards universal early childhood education and care (ECEC), which is a barrier for low-income families to access childcare.
Dr Smith explained that a lack of accessible and affordable early childhood education and care services has made most of Western Sydney a childcare ‘desert’.
“We welcome the report’s acknowledgement of the geographical inequities in the availability of childcare. These ‘childcare deserts’, such as those in Western Sydney, constrain parents’ ability to fully participate in the workforce, with labour force participation rates and income levels for women in Western Sydney lagging behind those in the city’s east,” she said.
Dr Rhonda Itaoui, Director of the Centre for Western Sydney, echoed these sentiments, emphasising the need for culturally safe and inclusive ECEC services.
“It’s not just about access to childcare but also the need to make early childhood education and care inclusive, flexible and culturally safe which is particularly relevant for Western Sydney communities. We, therefore, welcome the inquiry’s recognition of the importance of cultural safety for families from diverse backgrounds, particularly the recommendation for growing the bicultural and bilingual ECEC workforce to support cultural safety for communities such as those in Western Sydney,” said Dr Itaoui.
Dr Smith, Dr Itaoui, and co-author Professor Kate Huppatz, researched women’s labour force participation in Western Sydney as part of their Unlocking Women’s Potential: Labour force participation in Western Sydney report (opens in a new window) released earlier this year.
Their research mapped the geography of women's participation in the workforce, revealing that labour force participation for women in Western Sydney is 65 per cent, compared to 75 per cent for the rest of Sydney.
The researchers highlighted that childcare deserts are a geographical barrier contributing to women’s inability to fully participate in the workforce, with labour force participation rates for women in Western Sydney lagging behind national averages.
ENDS
24 September 2024
Ali Sardyga, Senior Media Officer
Photo credit: Markus Spiske via Unsplash
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